A/N This is the short version of this story. I've removed about three pages of it, because they had nothing to do with the plot whatsoever. If you are interested in these 'lost pages', Chapter 2 is the long version of the story. R&R Please! Flames are accepted, but please give me a reason. I need to know where I screw up, and just telling me I suck without an explanation is a waste of my time and yours. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Vesperia or its characters.
If the sky hadn't been torn by the Adephagos, it would have been a beautiful night. Halure's tree barrier kept the rampaging monsters at bay and the sweet scent of the flowers in the warm air gave the town a sense of peace and tranquility.
Leaning against the tree was a young mage from Aspio. She was absentmindedly playing with a green gem around her neck, which glowed faintly. The stone puzzled her, although her confusion had little to do with the gem itself, but rather the reason she had it.
'Dammit Yuri, what were you thinking?!' Rita Mordio thought angrily.
Even after traveling with him for so long, Rita still didn't understand Yuri. He could be a cold and calculating warrior and a sarcastic and rude ruffian, but he was also capable of being a kind person who wouldn't allow the strong to bully the weak and who couldn't bear to do nothing when people were suffering right in front of him.
Yuri had given Rita the Mystic Gem a day earlier, when he had returned from synthesizing new equipment at the shop. He'd told her it was an apology for his suspicions of her when they'd first met.
This had earned him weird glances from the rest of the group, minus Karol, who didn't realize the oddness of the gesture. Rita too had been skeptical of Yuri's explanation. Yuri just wasn't the type to give people gifts as an apology. In fact he wasn't one to apologize at all, always being absolutely confident that his actions were the correct ones. So what had the real reason been?
What annoyed Rita even more was the fact that she actually wore the necklace. While it certainly was a pretty stone, Rita had never been all that interested in jewelry and as far as she could remember she had never worn anything simply for its aesthetic value. Yet the Mystic Gem possessed absolutely no powers of any kind.
"Ah damn!" Rita exclaimed. She hated not being able to answer questions she had on her mind.
"Something bothering you?" someone asked.
Rita looked up, only now noticing Yuri. She turned away and said, "Nothing you could help me with."
Yuri groaned and said, "Let me guess, some new formula you've been working on?"
"Not exactly," was Rita's only answer. She stared at Yuri intently, trying to see into his mind by sheer force of will.
Yuri chuckled, surprising Rita. "What?!" she demanded.
"Nothing, I just noticed that you're still wearing that Mystic Gem," Yuri said.
Rita was momentarily at a loss for words, but she quickly recovered. "Yeah, well, you have to be reminded of your mistakes right? I mean, you gave me this gem in apology; it would kind of defeat the purpose if I didn't remind you of it."
"I guess that's true. Anyway, you ought to get some rest. While we're not moving in on Tarqaron just yet we still need all the rest we can get," Yuri said, now completely serious again.
Rita looked at the ground and sighed. "I know. I just have a lot on my mind."
Yuri nodded and said, "That goes for all of us, I think. Even so, we have to be well rested for the battles to come. It wouldn't be good if one of us simply collapsed."
Rita sighed and got up. "I guess you're right. Wow, that has to be a first," she added, but her tone wasn't snide at all.
She got up and followed Yuri down, only now noticing that he was unarmed. It was very unlike Yuri to leave his trusted sword, the Last Fencer, behind when he left, even if only for a short period of time.
"So what's with all the changes lately?" Rita asked, curious as to what Yuri's answer would be.
Yuri shot a glance at her and said, "What changes?"
Rita forced herself to not explode as she said, slightly strained by anger, "Giving presents, going out unarmed, you know."
She rolled her eyes, even though Yuri wasn't looking at her.
He chuckled and said, "I didn't see the need to take a weapon. I knew you were at the tree, and we're pretty much out of enemies so an ambush was unlikely."
"Okay, so what about the gem?" Rita almost held her breath, expecting to hear his true reason for giving it to her now.
"An apology for suspecting you, as I already told you," Yuri replied.
"Ugh, never mind!" Rita said angrily. She was angry at Yuri for not telling the truth, but also at herself for getting her hopes up. The two reached the inn and headed upstairs, where the others were already sleeping. The Mystic Gem didn't leave Rita's mind, even in her dreams.
A few days later
Rain pounded against the windows of the inn, but most of its tenants were asleep. Rita, though, was still restless. She was thinking about the Mystic Gem, again.
"Wow, you're quite the insomniac, aren't you?" Yuri said from behind her.
Rita looked up and said, "I was just thinking. I've got a lot on my mind."
"What is it?" Yuri asked, curious.
Rita sighed. She wasn't going to get off the hook, so she decided she wouldn't let Yuri off either.
"I'm thinking about this," she said as she held up the Mystic Gem. "I want to know why you gave it to me, and don't give me that crap about it being an apology again."
This time it was Yuri's turn to sigh. "I…I don't know. I just thought it would be a good idea is all."
Rita looked at the ceiling and said, "You know what's troubling me most? The fact that I can't figure out why I feel what I feel. Oh, I do know what I feel," she added when Yuri gave her a look. "I'm just surprised that it's you, of all people."
Yuri chuckled. "I guess that goes for me too, in a way."
"I must admit I thought you'd go for Estelle," Rita said. Yuri shook his head.
"I admit, her naiveté is cute, her spirit admirable and her compassion is damn near divine, but I look at her as my sister. You, though…I like your fiery temper, your impatience, your sense of justice. Sure, you and I would have clashes, many clashes, but in the end we'd be okay and I guess I just need an argument every now and then."
Rita gave him an amused look. "You'd be on the receiving end more often than not, I think, especially when I have my…Forget I said that! I never said that!" she suddenly yelled, turning as red as her clothes.
Yuri laughed. "Relax. I was just saying that…I like you." He turned serious. "I like you too much, I guess…"
Rita frowned. She didn't like where this was going. "What do you mean?"
Yuri gave her a somewhat pained look. "I'm twenty-one. You're fifteen. We can't be…you know."
Rita exploded. "Goddammit Yuri! Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now?! All my life I've lived alone, shunned by everyone because of my intellect and temper. When I met you, it was like having family. Estelle was my sister, Karol my younger brother slash punching bag."
She made an angry sound and continued, "Later on, I even began to see Judith as an older sister, and even that old man could be some kind of twisted uncle. But you…what I feel for you is so similar, yet so different to what I feel for all of them."
She looked away. "What's going to happen after we stop Duke and the Adephagos? Everyone will go their separate ways, and I will be alone again. Do you think I want that?!" she shouted.
Yuri looked pained. He didn't know what he should say, so he just said the first thing he thought of. "Well, Karol, Repede, Judith and I are a guild. Raven belongs to our guild unofficially and even though Estelle will go back to the castle, you could hire us to help you in researching the aer krene. Of course, if you'd visit Estelle while we're with you, we'd be together again. It would be just like now."
Rita sighed. She got up and walked over to Yuri. "You don't get it. It's not that I don't like the banter and so forth, but it's not enough. I need something more than talking."
She wrapped her arms around him and he just held her, unsure as to what he should do.
"Your heartbeat's soothing to listen to. It's so unlike a blastia, yet I care about you more than I've ever cared about any blastia," she said softly.
Yuri smiled and took a deep breath. He gently lifted Rita's face up with his hand and looked into her confused aquamarine eyes. He leaned in and kissed her, cherishing the soft touch of her lips.
When he pulled back several seconds later, he said, "That'll have to do for now. In three years, we can do it all we want. Of course, a hug now and then isn't illegal…"
Rita's eyes widened and she said, "Do you mean that?"
Yuri wasn't used to seeing this side of Rita, but he liked it. He smiled and said, "Yeah. I really do love you, but for now we'll have to lay low. And besides, if we can keep the feeling going for three years we'll only be better for it later."
Rita nodded. "That's true."
For a while, they just stood there. Rita hadn't let Yuri go yet, and he was content with holding her like that. He never imagined she would've ever allowed that.
After a while, Rita said, "I guess we should try to get some sleep."
Yuri nodded and said, "You're right. Let's not tell the others about this, okay?"
"You got it. I don't want them to know, anyway."
Rita walked up the stairs and Yuri prepared to follow her. Before heading up, though, he said, "So, you saw it all, huh old man?"
Raven chuckled from around the corner. "You got some nice moves, kid. I didn't know you were into that girl, though."
Yuri chuckled. "For a while, neither did I. Just do me a favor and keep quiet about it, okay? I really don't want to answer everyone's questions."
"You got it. This old man knows when to shut up," Raven said with a wink.
"Thanks."
"Just don't go all lovey dovey on me, okay?" A dull thud echoed through the inn when Yuri's fist connected with Raven's head.
Like I said, R&R please! The long version is in chapter 2, if you think you can bear it.
